Introduction
Those
of us who find ourselves enthralled by all things audio and video
typically have a wish list of gear that would fulfill that ultimate
goal of the no-holds–barred system. For most of us it is just that: a
wish list. But to dream is human and we must have goals to shoot for.
When it comes to the ultimate in loudspeakers, you can narrow the wish
list down fairly quickly to a handful of the top contenders. One of
those revered names is Revel, and their reputation for producing some
of the finest loudspeakers in the world is unquestionable. The
industrial design of the Ultima series demanded attention when I first
saw them, and when I was finally able to hear a pair of Salons at
AVRev.com editor Bryan Southard’s house, I was completely floored by
their sound, so floored that I managed to get a pair of Studios for my
very ...

Introduction
As
plasma and LCD TVs continue to sell at blistering rates, speaker
manufacturers have quickly become aware that the demand for thin
wall-mount “plasma friendly” speakers has never been higher. Having
recently upgraded my TV to a 61-inch rear projection set that is
mounted flush into a wall in my living room, it was obvious that my
floor-standing speakers were not going to work optimally with this
set-up. With my smaller CRT television, I was able to set
floor-standing speakers on each side of the set, with the center
channel directly on top. This meant that the speakers and the screen
were all the same distance away from the main seating position. With
the TV now flush with the wall, I needed to find a solution that would
still give me the big sound that I have become accustomed to, yet could
be mounted as close to the TV screen as possible and ...

Introduction
When
building my home theater, one of my biggest dilemmas was where to put
the surround speakers. My theater is located in a room where a
sectional sofa runs the full length of the back and side walls, so
stand-mounted surrounds were out. Wall-mounted surrounds were out, too,
as only one wide wall is available for speakers. The answer was to go
up and ceiling-mount the surrounds. For my application, I chose the
MC-615-70 from Utah-based speaker manufacturer RBH. This $299 (each)
in-ceiling speaker features a 6.5-inch aluminum woofer and a one-inch
swivel aluminum dome tweeter. A tweeter level control, accessed from
the front of the speaker, allows you to choose from a standard-level
setting or from -3dB or +3dB. The MC-615-70 has a frequency response of
50Hz - 20kHz±3dB, is 88dB efficient and features a built-in 70-volt
multi-tap transformer. These speakers are rated at 120 watts at eight
ohms and have a crossover ...

Introduction
In
the heyday of hi-fi, it seemed like there was a wide gap between the
highest-end speakers and speakers the masses could afford. Today,
things are different in that the budget-minded audio-video performance
enthusiast now has the opportunity to buy speakers that can hang with
the high-end players at a price that is only fractionally more than the
speakers found advertised on TV infomercials, along with
noise-canceling headphones.
For
over 25 years, RBH has been producing a wide range of performance
loudspeakers that are designed and engineered from their Utah-based
facility. I first became aware of their work four years ago, when AVR
editor Bryan Southard invited me over to his home to get a second
opinion on the Signature series that he had installed for review. I
remember really admiring the fit, finish and workmanship. I was
impressed with the solidness of the enclosures and the smooth, refined
sound that they produced. One of the ...

RHT How To:
Whole House Audio How-To: A Homeowner’s Guide to Planning a Whole-House Audio Distribution System
By Joe Hageman
March 2005
In Part 1 of this How-To
adventure, I discussed the various types of audio distribution systems
available. But which one is right for you? Do you have to spend upwards
of $50K and rewire your entire house to accommodate dozens of pairs of
speakers and LCD touch screens?
Of course not, but
as is the case with most things in life, you get what you pay for.
Choosing the right audio distribution system for you depends on many
different factors from the size of your house to how long you plan on
living there. More important, it depends on your lifestyle and how
often you plan on using the system. If you never entertain or lead such
a busy work life that you’re rarely at home, spending a small fortune
on a distributed ...